NASA Daily News Summary
For Release: Jan. 12, 2000
Media Advisory m00-008
SUMMARY:
PREFLIGHT BRIEFINGS FOR EARTH-MAPPING
SHUTTLE MISSION SET FOR JAN. 21
NASA SATELLITE GREATLY IMPROVES ACCURACY
OF TROPICAL RAINFALL FORECASTING
FUSE SPACECRAFT OBSERVES INTERSTELLAR LIFEBLOOD OF GALAXIES
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM JOINS AMERICAN ICONS IN COMMEMORATIVE
STAMP COLLECTION
Video File for Jan. 12, 2000
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PREFLIGHT BRIEFINGS FOR EARTH-MAPPING SHUTTLE MISSION SET FOR JAN. 21
A series of background briefings on the upcoming Shuttle
Radar Topography Mission, designed to map up to 80% of the Earth's
populated surface in 11 days, will be held on Friday, Jan. 21, at
NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX. The mission, designated STS-99, also is designed to produce unrivaled three-dimensional images of the world.
Full text: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/note2edt/2000/n00-001.txt
Headquarters contact: Kirsten Williams (Phone: 202/358-0243)
Johnson Space Center contact: Eileen Hawley (Phone: 281/483-5111)
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NASA SATELLITE GREATLY IMPROVES ACCURACY
OF TROPICAL RAINFALL FORECASTING
New research shows that adding rainfall data from NASA's
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite and other
meteorological satellites to forecast models can more than triple
the accuracy of short-term rainfall forecasts.
NASA Headquarters contact: David E. Steitz (Phone: 202/358-1730)
Goddard Space Flight Center contact: Allen Kenitzer (Phone: 301/286-2806)
American Meteorological Society contact: Stephanie Kenitzer (Phone: 562/628-8200)
Full text at ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-009.txt
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FUSE SPACECRAFT OBSERVES INTERSTELLAR LIFEBLOOD OF GALAXIES
The extended halo of half-million-degree gas that surrounds
the Milky Way was generated by thousands of exploding stars, or
supernovae, as our galaxy evolved, according to new observations
by NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE)
spacecraft. The spacecraft has nearly completed its shakedown phase, and
its first results are already providing a wealth of new
information to astronomers about the material that becomes stars,
planets and ourselves.
ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-005.txt
Headquarters Contact: Don Savage (Phone: 202/358-1547)
Goddard Space Flight Center: Bill Steigerwald (Phone: 301/286-5017)
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SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM JOINS AMERICAN ICONS IN COMMEMORATIVE
STAMP COLLECTION
The Space Shuttle Program today joined video games, the
Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and 12 other American memories as part of
the U.S. Postal Service's "Celebrate the Century" program; the 15-
stamp series was unveiled today at NASA's Kennedy Space Center,
FL.
Full text: ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/pressrel/2000/00-012.txt
Headquarters contact: Kirsten Williams (Phone: 202/358-0243)
U.S. Postal Service contact: Cathy Yarosky (Phone: 202/268-2126)
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Video File for Jan. 12, 2000
ITEM 1 - First Images From The FUSE Satellite (GSFC) TRT 10:00
ITEM 2 - TRMM - Improving Tropical Rainfall Forecasts (GSFC) TRT 2:00
ITEM 3 - NASA Technology Improved Weather Forecasting in 1999 (replay) TRT
13:00
ITEM 4 - New Shuttle Stamp - KSC (Video Added at 3 pm ET) TRT TBD
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ITEM 1 - First Images From The FUSE Satellite (GSFC) TRT 10:00
The FUSE spacecraft is observing the intestellar lifeblood of galaxies.
The extended halo of half-million-degree gas that surrounds the Milky Way
was generated by thousands of exploding stars, or supernovae, as our galaxy
evolved, according to new observations by NASA's Far Ultraviolet
Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) spacecraft.
Since stars destined to explode don't live long, compared to stars like
our Sun, star explosions are actually a record of star formation. By
comparing supernova generated halos among galaxies, researchers hope to be
able to compare their star formation histories.
Video shows the extended halo of gas created by these explosions.
HQ Contact: Don Savage 202/358-1727
Center Contact: Wade Sisler 310/286-6256
ITEM 2 - TRMM - Improving Tropical Rainfall Forecasts (GSFC) TRT 2:00
New research shows that the accuracy of tropical three-day rainfall
forecasts can be improved as much as 100% by combining existing forecast
models with satellite rainfall data. The research could be particularly
valuable in the prediction of hurricane behavior and rain accumulation.
Video shows, Hurricanes Floyd and Irene (September 1999) and TRM animation.
Using the new "super-ensemble" forecasting techniques, the following
visualizations compare September's collected one-day forecasts to the
collected daily observations of actual rainfall. This new forecasting
technique is a major improvement over earlier methods. The tropics are
notoriously hard for daily precipitation predictions; in this
representation the overall forecasting trend through time is more
significant than precise matching of the rainfall areas depicted by the
color map shown.
HQ Contact: Dave Steitz 202/358-1730
Center Contact: Wade Sisler 310/286-6256
ITEM 3 - NASA Technology Improved Weather Forecasting in 1999 TRT 13:00
NASA is getting better at predicting weather. Wth the use of satellite
data and better computer modeling techniques, meteorologists in the next
ten years
may be able to predict El Nino weather conditions potentially 15 months in
advance and detect hurricanes far enough ahead to help protect lives and
property, according to NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. The following
video details several NASA weather missions that will help accomplish these
goals.
HQ Contact - Dave Steitz 202/358-1730.
Item 3a - Landsat 7 - Mapping Cities
Landsat 7 is an Earth-mapping mission that provides imagery of the planet
from space that can be used to understand natural events all over the world.
Building on a 27-year heritage of data, Landsat 7 helps researchers
understand the effects of hurricanes and monitor fires and droughts. These
views show the cities of San Francisco, Rome, Paris, and New York.
Video courtesy NASA
Center contact: Wade Sisler 301/286-6256
Item 3b - Quikscat - Tracking Ocean Winds
Quikscat, a satellite launched last spring that tracks wind currents over the
ocean's surface, is providing information that can help scientists understand
the interactions between Earth's oceans and the atmosphere. This data can
help predict the evolution and movement of severe storms.
Video Courtesy NASA
Center contact: Diane Ainsworth 818/354-5011
Item 3c - Topex-Poseidon Looks at Sea Surfaces
A joint NASA-French mission that uses radar to study ocean surface
topography and heat content gives two more clues as to how El Nino and
other ocean events affect the weather that crosses our nation each day.
Animation depicts the evolution and decrease of the El Nino warm water pool
from Dec. 1996-March 1998. The warm water pool is red and white and the
La Nina cold water pool is blue and purple.
Video Courtesy NASA
Center contact: Diane Ainsworth 818/354-5011
Item 3d - TRMM Aids Hurricane Research
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, a joint NASA-Japanese mission,
continues to provide profound new insights into events such as hurricanes,
modeling them in 3-D while showing how energy is used within the storm. The
following animation shows the hurricane swath in 1998 and a 3-D working
model of a hurricane.
Video Courtesy NASA/NASDA
Center contact: Wade Sisler 301/286-6256
Item 3e - Terra: A planet-wide system
Terra, launched in Dec. 1999, will enable new research into the ways that
Earth's lands, oceans, air, ice and life function as a total planet-wide
system. Terra is the first spacecraft of the Earth Observing Satellite
(EOS) series
to be launched and will provide comprehensive, daily information on the
health of
the planet.
Video Courtesy NASA
Center contact: Wade Sisler 301/286-6256
Item 3f - Acrimsat: Measuring the Sun's Energy
Launched in Dec. 1999, the Acrimsat mission is designed to measure Total
Solar Irradiance (TRI), or the impact on Earth of the Sun's energy, during its
five-year mission life. Acrimsat is also part of the Earth Observing
Satellite series.
Video Courtesy NASA
Center contact: Diane Ainsworth 818/354-5011
ITEM 4 - New Shuttle Stamp - KSC (Video Added at 3 pm ET) TRT TBD
Video of the new stamp which the Post Office and NASA unveiled at the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center, FL at 11 a.m. eastern time on 1/1/00.
HQ Contact: Kirsten Williams 202/358-0243
Center Contact: Lisa Malone 321/867-2468
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Unless otherwise noted, ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN.
ANY CHANGES TO THE LINE-UP WILL APPEAR ON THE NASA VIDEO FILE
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THE WEB AT ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/pao/tv-advisory/nasa-tv.txt
WE UPDATE THE ADVISORY THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
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Refer general questions about the video file to NASA Headquarters,
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end of daily news summary